0000000000205808
AUTHOR
André Mégarbané
Phenotypic spectrum and genomics of undiagnosed arthrogryposis multiplex congenital
BackgroundArthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is characterised by congenital joint contractures in two or more body areas. AMC exhibits wide phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. Our goals were to improve the genetic diagnosis rates of AMC, to evaluate the added value of whole exome sequencing (WES) compared with targeted exome sequencing (TES) and to identify new genes in 315 unrelated undiagnosed AMC families.MethodsSeveral genomic approaches were used including genetic mapping of disease loci in multiplex or consanguineous families, TES then WES. Sanger sequencing was performed to identify or validate variants.ResultsWe achieved disease gene identification in 52.7% of AMC index pati…
Population structure in the Méditerranean basin: a Y chromosome perspective
The Mediterranean region has been characterised by a number of pre-historical and historical demographic events whose legacy on the current genetic landscape is still a matter of debate. In order to investigate the degree of population structure across the Mediterranean, we have investigated Y chromosome variation in a large dataset of Mediterranean populations, 11 of which are first described here. Our analyses identify four main clusters in the Mediterranean that can be labelled as North Africa, Arab, Central-East and West Mediterranean. In particular, Near Eastern samples tend to separate according to the presence of Arab Y chromosome lineages, suggesting that the Arab expansion played a…
Search forReCQL4mutations in 39 patients genotyped for suspected Rothmund-Thomson/Baller-Gerold syndromes
Three overlapping conditions, namely Rothmund-Thomson (RTS), Baller-Gerold (BGS) and RAPADILINO syndromes, have been attributed to RECQL4 mutations. Differential diagnoses depend on the clinical presentation, but the numbers of known genes remain low, leading to the widespread prescription of RECQL4 sequencing. The aim of our study was therefore to determine the best clinical indicators for the presence of RECQL4 mutations in a series of 39 patients referred for RECQL4 molecular analysis and belonging to the RTS (27 cases) and BGS (12 cases) spectrum. One or two deleterious RECQL4 mutations were found in 10/27 patients referred for RTS diagnosis. Clinical and molecular reevaluation led to a…
The oral-facial-digital syndrome gene C2CD3 encodes a positive regulator of centriole elongation
Centrioles are microtubule-based, barrel-shaped structures that initiate the assembly of centrosomes and cilia(1,2). How centriole length is precisely set remains elusive. The microcephaly protein CPAP (also known as MCPH6) promotes procentriole growth(3-5), whereas the oral-facial-digital (OFD) syndrome protein OFD1 represses centriole elongation(6,7). Here we uncover a new subtype of OFD with severe microcephaly and cerebral malformations and identify distinct mutations in two affected families in the evolutionarily conserved C2CD3 gene. Concordant with the clinical overlap, C2CD3 colocalizes with OFD1 at the distal end of centrioles, and C2CD3 physically associates with OFD1. However, wh…
Mutations in KIAA0586 Cause Lethal Ciliopathies Ranging from a Hydrolethalus Phenotype to Short-Rib Polydactyly Syndrome
KIAA0586, the human ortholog of chicken TALPID3, is a centrosomal protein that is essential for primary ciliogenesis. Its disruption in animal models causes defects attributed to abnormal hedgehog signaling; these defects include polydactyly and abnormal dorsoventral patterning of the neural tube. Here, we report homozygous mutations of KIAA0586 in four families affected by lethal ciliopathies ranging from a hydrolethalus phenotype to short-rib polydactyly. We show defective ciliogenesis, as well as abnormal response to SHH-signaling activation in cells derived from affected individuals, consistent with a role of KIAA0586 in primary cilia biogenesis. Whereas centriolar maturation seemed una…
Fifteen years of research on oral-facial-digital syndromes: from 1 to 16 causal genes
Oral–facial–digital syndromes (OFDS) gather rare genetic disorders characterised by facial, oral and digital abnormalities associated with a wide range of additional features (polycystic kidney disease, cerebral malformations and several others) to delineate a growing list of OFDS subtypes. The most frequent, OFD type I, is caused by a heterozygous mutation in theOFD1gene encoding a centrosomal protein. The wide clinical heterogeneity of OFDS suggests the involvement of other ciliary genes. For 15 years, we have aimed to identify the molecular bases of OFDS. This effort has been greatly helped by the recent development of whole-exome sequencing (WES). Here, we present all our published and …